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1999 XK8: should I or shouldn't I?

Hello!

I have just joined the forum and this is my first post. A little about me.. my husband and I live in the foothills of the Canadian Rocky Mountains just south of Calgary, Alberta. I'm a school music teacher by trade and beyond music I have passion for baseball and horses.

Over the years we have owned two X-Types and loved them. The demise of the first one was at the hands of my husband. The second an unfortunate meeting with a deer, particularly for the deer.

I have long dreamed of having a Jag convertible and recently found a beautiful 1999 XK8 for sale. The vehicle has 106 000 km in terms of mileage and has been reconditioned beautifully with new paint, new interior, new exhaust, new 20" rims and performance tires, etc. The car is beautiful. The seller agreed to a pre-purchase inspection and is to be expected, several repairs were recommended. The mechanic runs a shop billed as British Auto Specialists and insists that the chain tensioners be replaced as a precautionary measure. I was told that there would be "no warning and when the part(s) failed the engine would be destroyed."

Help please, I love the car but I am in no position to throw oodles of cash into it. Should I buy? Should I worry about doing this preventative and expensive maintenance right away?

Martha, you will need to check and have proof of:- tensioners, water pump and tower, gearbox oil and filter. If these have been updated to the later generation parts then all well and good.
The engine is the Nikosil type but if it's got this far it should be ok.
Make sure all the electrics are working correctly and a fully charged battery is a must on these cars.

Hi Marha welcome, As Jimbo has said have the tensioners checked, or when starting the car from cold,if there is a rattle at the start it may be that tensioners will need to be replaced, It's not difficult over here in the uk to get them done, but if you do not have a specialist over there then it could be a long term problem.. If it does rattle, then walk away.

Well, I did buy the car and I'm very excited about it. I elected to have the tensioners changed. The car is still in the shop being serviced. I actually called the shop a couple of days ago to see if there was any way the service would be complete by the weekend as the weather is finally to be sunny and warm. Here's the 'small world' part... I have a commitment in Bragg Creek tomorrow and I really to drive my new baby there.

I'm really looking forward to it, when the relie's were her in June I insured the hubby to be on my Jag and took him through the mountains to wales. He's insured me to be on his 4.7 litre truck so I can drive up the parkway.

Bragg Creek was beautiful today. Oscarsmate, if you head to Lake Louise be sure to go to Moraine Lake. Stunningly beautiful and quite close to Lake Louise. Another gorgeous spot that is maybe three hours south of Calgary is Waterton Lakes Park. Again, breathtakingly beautiful. And for something completely different, just a couple of hours east of Calgary, Drumheller and Dinosaur Park.